MINSK, 21 April (BelTA) - Almost Br4 million has been paid to Belarusian healthcare workers from the fund to support healthcare workers, Chairman of the Belarusian Trade Union of Healthcare Workers Vyacheslav Shilo said at the plenum of the National Trade Union Committee on 21 April, BelTA has learned.
During the pandemic, the safety of healthcare workers and their financial support have come to the forefront of trade unions' activities. At the initiative of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus (FTUB), a fund has been set up to support healthcare workers who fell ill while providing medical care to COVID-19 patients. The FTUB, all sectoral trade unions, as well as enterprises, and individuals transferred funds to it.
The support fund provided material assistance to trade union members to the total amount of Br3.950 million, Vyacheslav Shilo said.
Vyacheslav Shilo thanked the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus, national, territorial, industrial trade unions, every trade union member for their assistance and support. Letters of thanks were sent to each trade union and the FTUB.
In 2020, the sectoral trade union provided Br3.627 million worth of material assistance to employees.
Material assistance to healthcare workers infected with COVID-19 in the course of their work duties continues at the expense of primary trade union organizations, territorial and national trade union committees.
Speaking to journalists before the plenum, Vyacheslav Shilo said that since the beginning of the pandemic all measures to financially support healthcare workers had been taken. In this regard, he cited decree No.131, under which healthcare workers receive additional payments for working with COVID-19 patients. “This decree helped significantly increase the salaries of certain categories of healthcare workers, and we can see from the results of the previous year and the first quarter of 2021 that wages of healthcare workers have really increased,” he added.
According to him, there are questions from healthcare workers about the correctness of the calculation of additional payments. “We analyze every issue in order to protect healthcare workers and secure fair additional payments. In H1 2021 (the figures were voiced during the Healthcare Ministry meeting) some Br350 million were allocated under Decree No.131,” said Vyacheslav Shilo. He added, citing the assurances of the president and the government, that these additional payments would last as long as the healthcare personnel work under the current conditions.
The plenum highlighted the implementation of the program of the main activities of the Belarusian Trade Union of Healthcare Workers for 2020-2025. More than 130 representatives of the sectoral trade union were invited to take part in the event.
